On today’s episode, I’m picking the brains of former world champion kickboxer and karate Olympic hopeful. Sport has been heavily featuring in her life since she can remember. Always looking for somewhere to get moving, it was walking inside a gym in her hometown of Sligo that kickstarted everything - quite literally. Taking up kickboxing took her all the way to the top as she established herself as one of the world’s best athletes in the sport. Suffering in silence, no one knew her career and life were about to turn on their heads during a holiday where her family witnessed her pain for the first time, that had been there for years. Being diagnosed with Crohn's disease didn’t hold her down however as she returned to take home the world champion title once again. Switching lanes, the athlete traded in her gloves for a karate belt and with the Olympics in sight, set about conquering a new arena. Sharing her journey so far, touching on the dark side of sport and letting me in on the realities of life as an elite athlete, here’s what it’s like to be Caradh O’Donovan.
Follow Caradh on social media @caradhodonovan and watch her TEDx talk here
